For a certain generation (read: younger millennials), Space Jam remains a fondly-remembered favourite – a Looney Tunes sports movie that teamed Bugs Bunny and co up with a peak-of-his-powers Michael Jordan in an intergalactic basketball match against the evil alien Monstars. Also in the mix? Bill Murray playing himself, iconic song ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ by he-who-shall-not-be-named, and some ropey early CGI. It’s an absolute 1990s bonanza, and it’s about to make a comeback. That’s because, in the wake of Black Panther dominating the box office, Ryan Coogler used his clout as a producer to get things spinning on the upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy. We’ve got our first proper look in the form of the film’s official new basketball jersey.
The sequel will find the torch passed to current basketball legend LeBron James, who debuted his all-new Tune Squad uniform via the social media channels for his Uninterrupted ‘empowerment brand’. While the original ‘90s Jordan kit was white, the new more colourful blue design for James still incorporates the orange circles of the Looney Tunes logo nicely.
A New Legacy will see James team up with Bugs Bunny and the rest of the animated gang, also joined by the live-action likes of Sonequa Martin-Green and Don Cheadle. The film is directed by Girls Trip filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee, and Coogler has co-written the screenplay with Sev Ohanian. Nothing else has been officially released about the sequel so far, but it’s currently scheduled to arrive in cinemas next summer. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months – the real question is, how will they follow up the most 1990s website of all time?